This week, my graduate seminar at the University of Delaware hosted several scholars who study sex trafficking, both trafficking laws and the people they affect. Together, this group of scholars and activists from around the world share some common concerns about what happens when well-meaning policymakers use the wrong tools to address problems. Sen. Chris Coons has the opportunity to address one aspect of this with the bill pending now in the Senate Foreign Relations committee, H.R.515, International Megan’s Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking. While the proposed…
Read MoreTag: International Travel
Canada: Border agents stopped 150 U.S. sex offenders from entering Canada
Canada Border Services agents stopped more than 150 U.S. sex offenders from entering Canada, in part due to a partnership with United States customs, the federal government announced Monday. Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney made the announcement Monday morning at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport. In 2014 alone, information provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents helped CBSA agents refuse entry to 59 sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreH.R.4573 – International Megan’s Law Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar (Updated – reintroduced as HB515)
UPDATED WITH VOTE: WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation to extend Megan’s Law beyond American borders. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.), would require the U.S. to tell other countries when convicted sex offenders are traveling there. It would also try to set up reciprocal notification systems so the U.S. is told when convicted sex offenders travel to this country. A 2010 Government Accountability Office report said that at least 4,500 U.S. passports went to registered sex offenders in fiscal year 2008.…
Read MoreInternational Travel Experiences
Please supply your recent experiences with traveling abroad using the format below plus your comment / narrative. This is intended to collect experiences AT THE PORT OF ENTRY IN THE FOREIGN COUNTRY – Fall 2013 and later and being detained, denied or allowed in. NOT about re-entering the US and secondary inspection. It is assumed that there were no issues before Fall 2013 / early 2014 and that there is always a secondary inspection in some form upon returning to the United States. In the interest of organization please copy…
Read MoreInterpol and Green Notices
Interpol is an international organization but one with autonomous national branches in each of its member countries and which fall under the laws of those individual countries. The U.S. has its own Interpol force (Washington Interpol) which acts as a representative to Interpol, the international organization. Washington Interpol is composed of American citizens who are U.S. government employees (both Dept. of Justice and Homeland Security). As such, they must entirely adhere to U.S. laws and must operate within limits defined by the U.S. Constitution. This is how we can, and…
Read MoreCosta Rica Fights Against Sexual Exploitation of Children
Brooklyn, NY — (ReleaseWire) — 11/07/2014 — A new global Taskforce, launched in London yesterday aims to tackle the rapid acceleration of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism. Eight eminent leaders from the travel industry, the United Nations, Governments and NGOs, under the leadership of Dr. Maalla M’jid Former Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, will re-think approaches to a crime that has, to date, outpaced every attempt to respond. The sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism is now a…
Read MoreGreen Notice: Interpol’s paedophile tracking system ‘compromised by privacy concerns’ following Edward Snowden spying revelations
The global system designed to track paedophiles is failing as nations refuse to share information following the Edward Snowden spying revelations, child protection experts have warned. Suspicions of government “snooping” and potential privacy breaches have meant that countries have proved unwilling to hold and disseminate information on known and dangerous child abusers. Full Article Related: International Travel – China / Thailand International Megan’s Law / RSO Travel Issues International Travel – Mexico International Travel (Main Page) International Travel (Tag)
Read MoreInternational Travel – China / Thailand
First, I would like to thank everyone for their informative posts regarding the denial of entry of ports of entry. I was convicted of a lewd offense (Indecent Solicitation of a Child; Felony) in July 2003. The offense involved talking about having sex with a person who portrayed to be 14 but was a decoy police officer. My actions were stupid and I paid a hefty price for my poor chatroom sexual conduct. In addition to my sentence, I was required to register as a sex offender for a period…
Read MoreMexico: 53 denied entry in PV for pedophilia records
Immigration authorities in Puerto Vallarta turned away 53 foreign visitors between January and July when it was found they had a criminal record for acts of pedophilia. The National Immigration Institute (INM) began implementing a program call Angel Guardian in December of last year. Anyone entering the country who has a record for pederasty is denied entry. Full Article
Read MoreInternational Megan’s Law / RSO Travel Issues
I have written two pieces on the RSO travel issue, just published: The first is about International Megan’s Law (download pdf) The second describes current treatment (and regardless of Megan’s enactment) of RSO’s into the U.S. (download pdf) It was an ambitious undertaking but I hope that you will find them to be worthwhile. I believe that it is the most comprehensive treatment of this subject (thus far) but it is entirely possible that there may be omissions in these pieces and so would welcome your comments or criticisms for…
Read MorePhilippine Bureau of Immigration bans alien sex offenders in the country
MANILA, June 5 (PNA) — Foreign nationals who are registered sex offenders in other countries are barred from entering the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Thursday. In an order, Commissioner Siegfred Mison said aliens whose names are found in the registry of sex offenders as may be provided by a foreign embassy will be issued an order to leave since they pose a threat to public safety. Full Article
Read MoreInternational Megan’s Law moves through Congress
The International Megan’s Law cleared a major hurdle Friday when the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed it. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) has worked to pass the bill, which would expand the system of registering and tracking sex offenders to the international community, since 2008, when he first introduced the legislation. It was previously approved by the House in 2010. Full Article
Read MoreDHS Official: US Not ‘Routinely’ Notified When Sex Offenders Enter the Country
(CNSNews.com) – A Homeland Security Department official testified Friday before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security that U.S. authorities are not “routinely” notified when foreign sex offenders enter the United States. Full Article
Read MoreInternational Travel – Mexico
There have been many comments / stories on recent travel to Mexico. This post is dedicated to Travel to Mexico. Some Mexico specific comments have been moved here for further discussion. Also see: Living with 290 – Traveling to Cabo San Lucas International Travel Sharing More Information Will Enable Federal Agencies to Improve Notifications of Sex Offenders’ International Travel – United States Government Accountability Office, February 2013 (Highlights) International Tracking of Sex Offenders Working Group – An interim report of the collaborative effort to develop a system for tracking registered sex offenders as they…
Read MoreEditorial: Hands off our laptops
As President Obama ponders a task force’s recommendations for reining in electronic surveillance by the National Security Agency, a federal judge in New York has allowed another government agency to invade the privacy of Americans. Judge Edward R. Korman ruled that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents may confiscate and examine the contents of laptop computers of Americans returning to the country even if they lack reasonable suspicion that the devices contain evidence of criminal activity. … In that case, the 9th Circuit nevertheless upheld a sophisticated forensic analysis of…
Read MoreCanada: Stephen Harper announces tougher measures against sex offenders
VANCOUVER — The federal government acted to get even tougher on child predators at home and abroad as Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled plans Monday for a publicly-accessible national sex offender registry and a law forcing convicted sex offenders to alert Canadian authorities before they travel internationally. Under the Conservatives’ Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act, to be introduced in Parliament this fall, convicted sex offenders and their parole and probation officers must notify police of any international travel plans. Police would inform Canadian border guards who would then —…
Read MoreDraft law banning pedophiles from entering Russia submitted to Duma
MOSCOW, September 16 (RAPSI) – United Russia lawmaker Alexander Sidyakin proposed the imposition on foreign child molesters of a 50-year ban on entry into Russia, and submitted a draft law on the matter to the State Duma for review. The proposed amendments would effectively bar foreigners from entering Russia if they were prosecuted for sexually abusing children in Russian Federation or abroad. The ban would also include individuals convicted of having produced child pornography or participated in child prostitution. The bill’s sponsor claims that he enjoys the support of Russia’s…
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